Haughey’s Fianna fail
Dramatic loss for ex-TD bidding to run for seat in his Dublin domain
SEÁN Haughey has sensationally failed to be selected as Fianna Fáil’s election candidate in Dublin Bay North.
Instead the single nomination awarded by a party selection convention went to relative unknown, Councillor Deirdre Heney, the party’s legal adviser, who won by two votes, 75 to 73.
While Mr Haughey is likely to be added by headquarters to make up a two-candidate strategy, the move is a humiliation for the son of former taoiseach, Charles Haughey. Ms Heney has never served at national level while Mr Haughey is a former TD. Both are based in Clontarf.
The selection will also come as a shock to Senator Averil Power who left Fianna Fáil in the wake of the same sex marriage referendum. Party leader Micheál Martin claimed she had not wanted to share a party ticket with Mr Haughey. The move by FF members rebukes Ms Power by selecting a female candidate in the first instance. Ms Power, if she runs as an Independent, will now likely face two FF candidates in the field against her, instead of one. The constituency is a five-seater.
The vote at Clontarf Castle also recalls the drama in the same constituency when Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was embarrassingly passed over as the official Fine Gael candidate, only to be confirmed the next day as the third candidate on the party ticket, along with Stephanie Regan and Naoise O’ Muirí.
The decision by the rank-and-file is likely to raise further questions about the chaos being caused within political parties by the need to secure 30 per cent female gender representation at the general election. Increasingly, selection conventions appear to be choosing their own outsider first, leaving an incumbent to be added by headquarters – rather than risk having someone foisted upon them.
Last night Mr Haughey’s succession to the nomination had seemed eased when councillor Tom Brabazon and Aileen Woods, daughter of former Minister for Social Welfare Michael Woods, withdrew from the contest. Delegates then had a straight choice between Haughey and Heney.
It’s understood Mr Haughey – a former Lord Mayor of Dublin – had been assuring those he canvassed that he already had the numbers. The dropping of Haughey by delegates is also a chastening moment for party leader Mr Martin, who had been seen to back the former leader’s son through his criticism of Ms Power for wanting to be the sole candidate.